I'm bushed!

So, truth be told, it was a long flight, short night (just 2.5 hours of sleep) and a long first day back at work today, so I'm beat.  As such, I hope you'll forgive me for tonight's short post.

Not much has changed in "the 'hood'" since I left just under two weeks ago.  It seems there was considerably more traffic out tonight, but it's as chaotic as ever.  Chi and I had bun bo nam bo along with a ca phe sua da for lunch today and it was just as tasty as before.  Tree man was giving a customer a new haircut early this evening and, as always, there's no shortage of humidity in the air.

There was one thing I did notice, however, and it was hard to miss.  While walking back down Xuan Dieu Street after lunch, I couldn't help but see this beautiful, flame-red tree extending across the road. 

I walk this stretch of Xuan Dieu often and had never noticed the tree before.  Now that it's in bloom, it's almost impossible to miss.

I asked Chi if she knew what it was.  In Vietnamese, it's called "Phượng vỹ" or "Phoenix's tail" (how fitting!), because the flower resembles the tail of a Phoenix (and I guess it does).

According to Wikipedia, the flower is also called the "flower of pupil" due to the fact that it blooms in late May/early June when school ends.  Apparently it grows in parts of Florida and South Texas, even as far north as Tucson.

And that's today's arbor lesson everybody! 

'Night, night!